Amherst College Physics and Astronomy for 2010-11

Astronomy

11 Introduction to Modern Astronomy

A course reserved exclusively for students not well-versed in the physical sciences. The properties of the astronomical universe and the methods by which astronomers investigate it are discussed. Topics include the nature and properties of stars, our Galaxy, external galaxies, cosmology, the origin and character of the solar system, and black holes. Three one-hour lectures per week.

Limited to 50 students. No student who has taken any upper-level math or science course and received a grade of B or higher in either high school or college, will be admitted. Spring semester. Professor Melia.

14 Stars and Galaxies

An introductory course appropriate for both physical science majors and students with a strong pre-calculus background. Topics include: the observed properties of stars and the methods used to determine them, the structure and evolution of stars, the end-points of stellar evolution, our galaxy, the interstellar medium, external galaxies, quasars and cosmology. To be taught at the University of Massachusetts.

15 Science Play: Astronomy and Physics on the Stage

This course will examine a selection of plays that use astronomy or physics to delve into the scientific process, including plays by Brecht, Frayn, and Stoppard. By focusing on the moments abutting the instant of scientific discovery, these plays expose people at their most exhilarated and vulnerable. This creates an ideal space to explore the scientific idea itself as well as the attending complex human interactions and issues such as gender and genius, the interplay of society and science, and the scientist’s responsibility to society. The course will guide the student through humanity’s evolving view of cosmology, loosely mirroring the arc of the scientific content of the plays and pausing to focus on three pivotal moments in our understanding of the universe. In addition to addressing these key ideas, we will study the theatricality of the plays. We will examine the experiences of the playwright in the writing process, and the director and actor in bringing the play from the page to the stage. Having explored major current topics in astrophysics at a non-technical level as well as the roles of the playwright, director and actor in giving life to the science play, the course will culminate in the translation of these scientific ideas to the stage.

20 Bringing Astronomy Down to Earth: The Art of Communicating Science Through Electronic Media

A scientifically well-informed public is not only crucial for the continued support of sciences but also a necessity in a democratic society dependent on science and technology. The course will introduce students to state-of-the-art examples of science communication methods for the public. The students will learn how to use electronic tools, such as podcasts/vodcasts, animated gifs and digital films to communicate the science behind some recent astronomical discoveries. Students will work in small teams on projects that integrate science writing with electronic tools to communicate key astronomical concepts. To be taught at Hampshire College.

Requisite: At least one course in any quantitative science. Omitted 2010-11.

23 Planetary Science

(ASTFC) An introductory course for physical science majors. Topics include: planetary orbits, rotation and precession; gravitational and tidal interactions; interiors and atmospheres of the Jovian and terrestrial planets; surfaces of the terrestrial planets and satellites; asteroids, comets, and planetary rings; origin and evolution of the planets. To be taught at Mount Holyoke College.

Requisite: One semester of a physical science and one semester of calculus (may be taken concurrently). Some familiarity with physics is essential. Fall semester. Professor Dyar.

24 Stellar Astronomy

(ASTFC) This is a course on the observational determination of the fundamental properties of stars. It is taught with an inquiry-based approach to learning scientific techniques, including hypothesis formation, pattern recognition, problem solving, data analysis, error analysis, conceptual modeling, numerical computation and quantitative comparison between observation and theory.

Because many of the pedagogical goals of Astronomy 24 and 25 are identical, students are advised not to take both of these courses. Two class meetings per week plus computer laboratories. To be taught at Smith College.

25 Galactic and Extragalactic Astronomy: The Dark Matter Problem

This course explores the currently unsolved mystery of dark matter in the universe using an inquiry-based approach to learning. Working with actual and simulated astronomical data, students will explore this issue both individually and in seminar discussions. The course will culminate in a “conference” in which teams present the results of their work.

Because many of the pedagogical goals of Astronomy 24 and 25 are identical, students are advised not to take both of these courses. Students who have taken the First-Year Seminar “The Unseen Universe” may not take Astronomy 25. Two class meetings per week plus computer laboratories.

Requisite: Mathematics 11 and either an introductory Astronomy or an introductory Physics course. Omitted 2010-11.

26 Cosmology

(ASTFC) Cosmological models and the relationship between models and observable parameters. Topics in current astronomy which bear upon cosmological problems, including background electromagnetic radiation, nucleosynthesis, dating methods, determination of the mean density of the universe and the Hubble constant, and tests of gravitational theories. Discussion of some questions concerning the foundations of cosmology and speculations concerning its future as a science.

Requisite: One semester of calculus and one semester of some physical science; no Astronomy requisite. Spring semester. Professor Melia.

28 Introductory Astrophysics: Stars and Galaxies

A calculus-based introduction to the properties, structure, formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. The laws of gravity, thermal physics, and atomic physics provide a basis for understanding observed properties of stars, interstellar gas and dust. We apply these concepts to develop an understanding of stellar atmospheres, interiors, and evolution, the interstellar medium, and the Milky Way and other galaxies. To be taught at Smith College and the University of Massachusetts.

30 Seminar: Topics in Astrophysics

Devoted each year to a particular topic, this course will commence with a few lectures in which a scientific problem is laid out, but then quickly move to a seminar format. In class discussions a set of problems will be formulated, each designed to illuminate a significant aspect of the topic at hand. The problems will be substantial in difficulty and broad in scope: their solution, worked out individually and in class discussions, will constitute the real work of the course. Students will gain experience in both oral and written presentation. In 2010 the topic will be Mars. To be taught at Mount Holyoke College.

33 High Energy Astrophysics

This is a junior/senior level course introducing students to the various observational and theoretical aspects of high-energy astrophysics, in which we study how relativistic processes produce X-rays, gamma rays, and other energetic particles. Many of the relevant interactions take place on or near compact objects, such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. But some of the high-energy radiation is also produced in the medium between the stars and some in regions outside of our Galaxy. We will learn how the radiating particles become so energetic, and how they produce the radiation reaching Earth. And we will learn how experimental astrophysicists devise the detectors they need to interrogate this radiation to acquire the information we need to discern what is happening in these very distant sources.

35 Intermediate Astrophysics

How do astronomers determine the nature and extent of the universe? Following the theme of the “cosmic distance ladder,” we explore how our understanding of astrophysics allows us to evaluate the size of the observable universe. We begin with direct determinations of distances in the solar system and to nearby stars. We then move on to spectroscopic distances of more distant stars, star counts and the structure of our Galaxy, Cepheid variables and the distances of other galaxies, the Hubble Law and large-scale structure in the universe, quasars and the Lyman-alpha forest. To be taught at the University of Massachusetts.

37 Observational Techniques in Optical and Infrared Astronomy

An introduction to the techniques of gathering and analyzing astronomical data, particularly in the optical and infrared regions of the spectrum. Telescope design and optics. Instrumentation for imaging, photometry, and spectroscopy. Astronomical detectors. Computer graphics and image processing. Error analysis and curve fitting. Data analysis and astrophysical interpretation. Evening laboratories to be arranged. To be taught at Smith College.

Requisite: Two courses of Physics and one of Astronomy 24, 29, 30, 35. Not open to first-year students. Spring semester. Professor Gutermuth.

57 Astroparticle Physics

(Offered as ASTR 57 and PHYS 57.) Taking off from an exploration of the Standard Model of elementary particles, and the physics of particle and radiation detection, this course will cover topics in the young field of Particle Astrophysics. This field bridges the fields of elementary particle physics and astrophysics and investigates processes in the universe using experimental methods from particle physics. An emphasis will be placed on current experiments and the scientific literature. Topics covered will include cosmic rays, neutrinos, the development of structure in the early universe, big bang nucleosynthesis, and culminate with our modern understanding of the nature of dark matter and dark energy in the expanding universe.

74, 73 Reading Course

Students electing this course will be required to do extensive reading in the areas of astronomy and space science. Two term papers will be prepared during the year on topics acceptable to the Department.

77, 78 Senior Departmental Honors

Opportunities for theoretical and observational work on the frontiers of science are available in cosmology, cosmogony, radio astronomy, planetary atmospheres, relativistic astrophysics, laboratory astrophysics, gravitational theory, infrared balloon astronomy, stellar astrophysics, spectroscopy, and exobiology. Facilities include the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory, the Laboratory for Infrared Astrophysics, balloon astronomy equipment (16-inch telescope, cryogenic detectors), and modern 24- and 16-inch Cassegrain reflectors. An Honors candidate must submit an acceptable thesis and pass an oral examination. The oral examination will consider the subject matter of the thesis and other areas of astronomy specifically discussed in Astronomy courses.

Open to seniors. Required of Honors students. Fall semester. The Department.

97, 98 Special Topics

Physics

09 Energy

We will develop the concept of energy from a Physics perspective. We will introduce the various forms that energy can take and discuss the mechanisms by which it can be generated, transmitted, and transformed. The law of conservation of energy will be introduced both as a useful tool, and as an example of a fundamental physical law. The environmental and financial costs and benefits of various methods of energy generation and consumption will be discussed. Demonstrations and hands-on laboratory experiences will be an integral part of the course. The course is intended for non-science majors and not for students who have either completed or intend to complete the equivalent of Physics 17 or Chemistry 10.

14 Relativity, Cosmology, and Quantum Physics

Beginning with the roots of the principle of relativity in the work of Galileo and Newton, the course will discuss Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity in quantitative detail. The eighteenth- and nineteenth-century developments in electrodynamics and optics will be explored along the way. A qualitative outline of general relativity will be presented. The next topic will be the study of the structure of matter and forces on the small scale and the challenges posed by the quantum theory that best describes the microworld. The last topic of the semester will be the application of relativity and quantum physics to the early universe. The approach will be elementary but rigorous. The course is designed for the non-specialist audience; no advanced mathematics or prior physics will be required. The work will include readings and regular problem sets as well as a few essays. High school algebra and geometry will however be used extensively in class and in the problem sets.

15 Scientific Computing

This course explores how computation can be used effectively to solve problems arising in scientific disciplines. It will provide insight into how numerical methods work, and how and where to apply them. Topics include numerical integration, solving systems of equations and differential equations, root finding, the fast Fourier transform, random number generation, curve fitting, error estimation, and simulation of physical systems. We will emphasize ways of constructing correct, efficient algorithms and of implementing those algorithms well. No previous programming experience is required, but quantitative aptitude is essential. Students will be expected to learn the basics of programming in the first few weeks and will do substantial programming throughout the semester.

Requisite: Mathematics 11 or consent of the instructor. Omitted 2010-11.

16 Introductory Physics I: Mechanics and Wave Motion

The course will begin with a description of the motion of particles and introduce Newton’s dynamical laws and a number of important force laws. We will apply these laws to a wide range of problems to gain a better understanding of them and to demonstrate the generality of the framework. The important concepts of work, mechanical energy, and linear and angular momentum will be introduced. The unifying idea of conservation laws will be discussed. The study of mechanical waves permits a natural transition from the dynamics of particles to the dynamics of waves, including the interference of waves. Additional topics may include fluid mechanics and rotational dynamics. Three hours of lecture and discussion and one three-hour laboratory per week.

17 Introductory Physics II: Electromagnetism and Optics

Most of the physical phenomena we encounter in everyday life are due to the electromagnetic force. This course will begin with Coulomb’s law for the force between two charges at rest and introduce the electric field in this context. We will then discuss moving charges and the magnetic interaction between electric currents. The mathematical formulation of the basic laws in terms of the electric and magnetic fields will allow us to work towards the unified formulation originally given by Maxwell. His achievement has, as a gratifying outcome, the description of light as an electromagnetic wave. The course will consider both ray-optics and wave-optics descriptions of light. Laboratory exercises will emphasize electrical circuits, electronic measuring instruments, optics and optical experiments. Three hours of lecture and discussion and one three-hour laboratory per week.

23 The Newtonian Synthesis: Dynamics of Particles and Systems, Waves

The idea that the same simple physical laws apply equally well in the terrestrial and celestial realms, called the Newtonian Synthesis, is a major intellectual development of the seventeenth century. It continues to be of vital importance in contemporary physics. In this course, we will explore the implications of this synthesis by combining Newton’s dynamical laws with his Law of Universal Gravitation. We will solve a wide range of problems of motion by introducing a small number of additional forces. The concepts of work, kinetic energy, and potential energy will then be introduced. Conservation laws of momentum, energy, and angular momentum will be discussed, both as results following from the dynamical laws under restricted conditions and as general principles that go well beyond the original context of their deduction. Newton’s laws will be applied to a simple continuous medium to obtain a wave equation as an approximation. Properties of mechanical waves will be discussed. Four hours of lecture and discussion and one three-hour laboratory per week.

24 The Maxwellian Synthesis: Dynamics of Charges and Fields, Optics

In the mid-nineteenth century, completing nearly a century of work by others, Maxwell developed an elegant set of equations describing the dynamical behavior of electromagnetic fields. A remarkable consequence of Maxwell’s equations is that the wave theory of light is subsumed under electrodynamics. Moreover, we know from subsequent developments that the electromagnetic interaction largely determines the structure and properties of ordinary matter. The course will begin with Coulomb’s Law but will quickly introduce the concept of the electric field. Moving charges and their connection with the magnetic field will be explored. Currents and electrical circuits will be studied. Faraday’s introduction of the dynamics of the magnetic field and Maxwell’s generalization of it will be discussed. Laboratory exercises will concentrate on circuits, electronic measuring instruments, and optics. Four hours of lecture and discussion and one three-hour laboratory per week.

25 Modern Physics

The theories of relativity (special and general) and the quantum theory constituted the revolutionary transformation of physics in the early twentieth century. Certain crucial experiments precipitated crises in our classical understanding to which these theories offered responses; in other instances, the theories implied strange and/or counterintuitive phenomena that were then investigated by crucial experiments. After an examination of the basics of Special Relativity, the quantum theory, and the important early experiments, we will consider their implications for model systems such as a particle in a box, the harmonic oscillator, and a simple version of the hydrogen atom. We will also explore the properties of nuclei and elementary particles, study lasers and photonics, and discuss some very recent experiments of interest in contemporary physics. Three class hours per week.

26 Intermediate Laboratory

A variety of classic and topical experiments will be performed. In the area of fundamental constants, we will undertake a measurement of the speed of light, a determination of the ratio of Planck’s constant to the charge of the electron through the study of the photoelectric effect, and an experiment to obtain the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron. We will study the wave nature of the electron through a diffraction experiment. An experiment to measure optical spectra and another on gamma ray spectra will reveal the power of spectroscopy for exploring the structure of matter. Other experiments such as nuclear magnetic resonance, quantized conductance in nanocontacts, and properties of superconductors will give students an opportunity to experience laboratory practice in its contemporary form. Emphasis will be placed on careful experimental work and data-analysis techniques. One meeting a week of discussion plus additional, weekly self-scheduled laboratory work.

27 Methods of Theoretical Physics

The course will present the mathematical methods frequently used in theoretical physics. The physical context and interpretation will be emphasized. Topics covered will include vector calculus, complex numbers, ordinary differential equations (including series solutions), partial differential equations, functions of a complex variable, and linear algebra. Four class hours per week.

30 Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics

The basic laws of physics governing the behavior of microscopic particles are in certain respects simple. They give rise both to complex behavior of macroscopic aggregates of these particles, and more remarkably, to a new kind of simplicity. Thermodynamics focuses on the simplicity at the macroscopic level directly, and formulates its laws in terms of a few observable parameters like temperature and pressure. Statistical Mechanics, on the other hand, seeks to build a bridge between mechanics and thermodynamics, providing in the process, a basis for the latter, and pointing out the limits to its range of applicability. Statistical Mechanics also allows one to investigate, in principle, physical systems outside the range of validity of Thermodynamics. After an introduction to thermodynamic laws, we will consider a microscopic view of entropy, formulate the kinetic theory, and study several pertinent probability distributions including the classical Boltzmann distribution. Relying on a quantum picture of microscopic laws, we will study photon and phonon gases, chemical potential, classical and degenerate quantum ideal gases, and chemical and phase equilibria. Three class hours per week.

43 Dynamics

This course begins with the foundation of classical mechanics as formulated in Newton’s Laws of Motion. We then use Hamilton’s Principle of Least Action to arrive at an alternative formulation of mechanics in which the equations of motion are derived from energies rather than forces. This Lagrangian formulation has many virtues, among them a deeper insight into the connection between symmetries and conservation laws. From the Lagrangian formulation we will move to the Hamiltonian formulation and the discussion of dynamics in phase space, exploring various avenues for the transition from the classical to the quantum theory. We will study motion in a central force field, the derivation of Kepler’s laws of planetary motion from Newton’s law of gravity, two-body collisions, and physics in non-inertial reference frames. Other topics may include the dynamics of driven, damped oscillators, and non-linear dynamics of chaotic systems. Three class hours per week.

46 Molecular and Cellular Biophysics

(Offered as PHYS 46, BIOL 40, and CHEM 46.) How do the physical laws that dominate our lives change at the small length and energy scales of individual molecules? What design principles break down at the sub-cellular level and what new chemistry and physics becomes important? We will answer these questions by looking at bio-molecules, cellular substructures, and control mechanisms that work effectively in the microscopic world. How can we understand both the static and dynamic shape of proteins using the laws of thermodynamics and kinetics? How has the basic understanding of the smallest molecular motor in the world, ATP synthase, changed our understanding of friction and torque? We will explore new technologies, such as atomic force and single molecule microscopy that have allowed research into these areas. This course will address topics in each of the three major divisions of Biophysics: bio-molecular structure, biophysical techniques, and biological mechanisms.

47 Electromagnetic Theory I

A development of Maxwell’s electromagnetic field equations and some of their consequences using vector calculus. Topics covered include: electrostatics, steady currents and static magnetic fields, time-dependent electric and magnetic fields, and the complete Maxwell theory, energy in the electromagnetic field, Poynting’s theorem, electromagnetic waves, and radiation from time-dependent charge and current distributions. Three class hours per week.

48 Quantum Mechanics I

Wave-particle duality and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Basic postulates of Quantum Mechanics, wave functions, solutions of the Schroedinger equation for one-dimensional systems and for the hydrogen atom. Three class hours per week.

57 Astroparticle Physics

(Offered as ASTR 57 and PHYS 57.) Taking off from an exploration of the Standard Model of elementary particles, and the physics of particle and radiation detection, this course will cover topics in the young field of Particle Astrophysics. This field bridges the fields of elementary particle physics and astrophysics and investigates processes in the universe using experimental methods from particle physics. An emphasis will be placed on current experiments and the scientific literature. Topics covered will include cosmic rays, neutrinos, the development of structure in the early universe, big bang nucleosynthesis, and culminate with our modern understanding of the nature of dark matter and dark energy in the expanding universe.